I snapped the photo that became the new header the other night in Orgrimmar.

We’d just farmed up the last of the primals required to craft the lovely Droonda a Storm Helm. And there with her Shattered Sun Offense tabard, her couple of matching pieces of honored reputation pvp gear, and two fel edged battle axes that I also crafted for her, the ones that cross on your back, (yes, they’re too fast, but she’s an Orc and I could craft them) she was looking particuarly Ninja Orc Shaman Princess.

And Msaker, with his Wicked Edge of the Planes, and the Prince’s own Decapitator, the glowing PvP shoulders from Season 1, the same tabard, and that wickedly delightful helm of the Headless Horseman, that glowing green, maniacal laughing, helm…

The screenshot looked more washed out than what is posted above here. Because what is posted above is basically fantasy art. Everything is right, for me at least. The mood, the feel, the flow. That sinister glance of Msaker as he looks off to his left. This is unedited by software by the way.

It’s kind of funny, but I can’t even tell if the graphics are out-of-date. And I don’t care. The graphics in LotRO are nice, but don’t really appeal to me. The EQII graphics were the same. They had that whole “Uncanny Valley” thing going for/against them.

And nearly a year later I’ll be loath to replace that helm with Tier 4 (should The Prince ever do me that favor), or the PvP version (Season 1 via token hand-in at Quel’Danas). The current Season 2 helm, horns, I don’t like. Season 3, the brawlers “face mask” helm looks okay.

I don’t RP. I wasn’t an Orc, left as an Orphan in a Tauren household, raised by Troll Warriors to be a fighting machine, to exact my revenge on … Warlocks for the destiny they made for my branch of the Orc race. Or gnomes, because they’re short, but real. I’m not seeking my grand destiny in the footsteps of Thrall, because, frankly, it’s a game, and my destiny ground to a standstill at 60, and has ground to a standstill again at 70, and will grind to a standstill at 80. Kind of like Col Kurtz ground to a standstill out in the jungle. And look what happened to him.

I’m not a numbers guy. That is, I am, but not like a hardcore raider would have to be. I’ve got nearly a 30% crit rate, and I’m working on it, and my Attack Power. I’m not wearing Pally plate, for instance, because it looks sweet. I’m casual enough about my numbers, that I’ll work on them, but not so I wind up looking like I scavanged through the bargain bins down behind the local clothing wholesaler. Nor will I spend all my gold on the perfect epic gems for a piece of gear I should have replaced. What did Fernando say? “It’s better to look good than to feel good. And I look marvelous!”

No, I’m just playing an Orc across from my wife, also an Orc, and we look good as Orcs, and that’s pretty much what matters when you’re playing in a fantasy world, isn’t it?

And I guess familiarity with what you’re seeing goes a LONG way in how well you like it compared to something else.